Wach Topples “The Clones Colossus”

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – At six feet, seven inches tall and 245.5 pounds, Mariusz Wach will not face too many opponents who are bigger than he is.

On Friday, the Polish-born resident of Bergen, N.J. gave away 50½ pounds to Kevin McBride.

Wach took a few heavy shots from McBride while attacking the body in the early rounds before knocking out McBride in the fourth round with an overhand right to win the World Boxing Council International heavyweight title at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Wach, 25-0 (13), started the fight slowly. McBride, 35-10-1 (29), landed some hard overhand rights with Wach on the ropes in the second and third rounds. Wach picked up the pace toward the end of the third round, landing two overhand rights and rights to the body.

In the fourth, Wach attacked the body in the early part of the round and the 296-pound McBride began to tire. Wach landed an overhand right to the top of the head and McBride hit the canvas hard. Referee Dan Schiavonne waved off the count at 2:25.

McBride, a native of Ireland living in Dorchester, Mass. best known for his 2005 victory over Mike Tyson, left the ring on a stretcher.

Elvin Ayala of New Haven, Conn. won the vacant WBC USNBC middleweight title with a ten-round unanimous decision over last-minute replacement Derrick Findley of Gary, Ind.

Don Trella scored it 97-92. Tom Schreck and John McKaie scored it 96-93 for Ayala, who is now 24-5-1 (11). Findley, who filled in for former lightweight title challenger Israel “Pito” Cardona, dropped to 18-6 (11).

Findley caught Ayala off balance in the first round for a flash knockdown and he kept coming forward throughout the fight. He landed some hard body punches in the sixth and seventh rounds and occasionally caught Ayala off-balance with a straight right.

Ayala was very elusive during most of the fight, avoiding most of Findley’s big shots and controlling the fight with his jab. In the eighth round, Findley was cut next to the left eye.

Steve Epstein and John McKaie scored it 80-72. Don Trella scored it 79-73..

Rivera, 41-6-1 (24), controlled the fight, landing several one-two combinations. His best punch was a left uppercut that forced Mpendo take a step back. Mpendo, 7-8-4 (3), landed single right hands throughout the bout and opened up a little more in the third round but Rivera was the aggressor and landed combinations to Mpendo’s single punches.

Heavyweight Artur Szpilka of Poland stopped David Williams of Philadelphia in the first round of a scheduled four. Szipilka, 7-0 (5), dropped Williams twice with straight left hands to the top of the head. Dan Schiavonne stopped the fight at 1:53. Williams dropped to 6-5-1 (2).

Thomas Falowo of Pawtucket, R.I. stopped Russ Niggemeyer of Hilliard, Ohio in the second round of a four-round middleweight bout. Falowo, 4-0 (4), dropped Niggemeyer with a left hook in the second round. Niggemeyer got up but quickly stumbled back to the canvas, prompting referee Benjy Esteves Jr. to stop the fight 40 seconds into the round. Niggemeyer dropped to 2-3 (2).

At super middleweight, Keith Kozlin of Warwick, R.I. and Reynaldo Rodriguez of Woonsocket, R.I. fought to a four-round majority draw. The scores were 38-38 (twice) and 40-36 for Kozlin. Both fighters scored knockdowns in the fourth round. Kozlin is 6-2-1 (4); Rodriguez is 5-2-1 (2).

Super middleweight Greg McCoy of New Haven, Conn. won a four-round unanimous decision over Ralph Johnson of Worcester, Mass. The scores were 38-36 (twice) and 38-37. McCoy, 3-3-1 (1), dropped Johnson in the second round but was deducted a point for hitting Johnson when he was down. Johnson dropped to 0-2.

Edwin Soto of New Haven, Conn. stopped Michael Denby of Felton, Del. In the third round of a scheduled four at welterweight. Soto, 7-0-1 (3), dropped Denby once in the third. Denby, 3-12-4 (2), got up but Soto resumed his attack and Dan Schiavonne stopped the fight with Denby tangled in the ropes.

Undefeated junior welterweights Jonathan Vazquez of New Bedford, Mass. and Agustine Mauras of Lawrence, Mass. fought to a four-round majority draw. The scores were 38-38 (twice) and 39-37 for Vazquez. Vazquez is now 4-0-1 (3); Mauras is 1-0-1 (1).

Heavyweight Josh Harris of Youngstown, Ohio overcame a first-round knockdown to stop debuting Jose Torres of Springfield, Mass. at 2:23 of the final round of a scheduled four. Harris, 8-5-1 (6), dropped Torres with a left hook and referee Dan Schiavonne waved off the count.